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Intentions

• This is a Azure Devops setup note written on 27 June 2024. Focus on create Azure Devops workflow from scratch.

• Use Azure DevOps to build and deploy.

• Build by self-hosted agent. (You can either purchase a parallel job or you can request a free tier.)

• Create and Deploy Orchard CMS to Azure App Service 

Prerequisites

• An Azure account with an active subscription. Create an account for free.

• An Azure DevOps organization. Create one for free.

• A working Azure App Service app with code hosted on GitHub or Azure Repos.

Get started

Open Azure DevOps

Visit the https://dev.azure.com/

First time, you have to register one organization. Click Open Azure DevOps.

Fill your info.

Click, Continue

Create a project in Azure DevOps

Enter project name and create project

Select Repo on left sidebar

Import https://github.com/kenszeapp/Orchardcore_Demo

Source code import done

Create self-hosed Agent

Click Project Settings on left-bottom corner, select Agents Pools

Click Add Pool

Create new self-host agent pool

Create a Personal Access Token

Goto Devops project homepage, for example https://dev.azure.com/Alluget2024

Click the gear icon > Personal access token

New Token

Grant the Read & Manage for Agent Pools and create.

Save the token string, it is used on next step.

Create and build the Dockerfile for self-hosted agent

Open a terminal in local machine.

Create a new directory (recommended):

mkdir ~/devops/

Go to this new directory:

cd ~/devops/

Add file at ~/devops/azp-agent-linux.dockerfile with follow

Copy
FROM ubuntu:22.04
ENV TARGETARCH="linux-x64"
# Also can be "linux-arm", "linux-arm64".

RUN apt update
RUN apt upgrade -y
RUN apt install -y curl git jq libicu70

WORKDIR /azp/

COPY ./start.sh ./
RUN chmod +x ./start.sh

# Create agent user and set up home directory
RUN useradd -m -d /home/agent agent
RUN chown -R agent:agent /azp /home/agent

USER agent
# Another option is to run the agent as root.
# ENV AGENT_ALLOW_RUNASROOT="true"

ENTRYPOINT [ "./start.sh" ]

Add file at ~/devops/start.sh with follow

#!/bin/bash
set -e

if [ -z "${AZP_URL}" ]; then
  echo 1>&2 "error: missing AZP_URL environment variable"
  exit 1
fi

if [ -z "${AZP_TOKEN_FILE}" ]; then
  if [ -z "${AZP_TOKEN}" ]; then
    echo 1>&2 "error: missing AZP_TOKEN environment variable"
    exit 1
  fi

  AZP_TOKEN_FILE="/azp/.token"
  echo -n "${AZP_TOKEN}" > "${AZP_TOKEN_FILE}"
fi

unset AZP_TOKEN

if [ -n "${AZP_WORK}" ]; then
  mkdir -p "${AZP_WORK}"
fi

cleanup() {
  trap "" EXIT

  if [ -e ./config.sh ]; then
    print_header "Cleanup. Removing Azure Pipelines agent..."

    # If the agent has some running jobs, the configuration removal process will fail.
    # So, give it some time to finish the job.
    while true; do
      ./config.sh remove --unattended --auth "PAT" --token $(cat "${AZP_TOKEN_FILE}") && break

      echo "Retrying in 30 seconds..."
      sleep 30
    done
  fi
}

print_header() {
  lightcyan="\033[1;36m"
  nocolor="\033[0m"
  echo -e "\n${lightcyan}$1${nocolor}\n"
}

# Let the agent ignore the token env variables
export VSO_AGENT_IGNORE="AZP_TOKEN,AZP_TOKEN_FILE"

print_header "1. Determining matching Azure Pipelines agent..."

echo ${AZP_AGENT_PACKAGE_LATEST_URL}

if [ -z "${AZP_AGENT_PACKAGE_LATEST_URL}" -o "${AZP_AGENT_PACKAGE_LATEST_URL}" == "null" ]; then
  echo 1>&2 "error: could not determine a matching Azure Pipelines agent"
  echo 1>&2 "check that account "${AZP_URL}" is correct and the token is valid for that account"
  exit 1
fi

print_header "2. Downloading and extracting Azure Pipelines agent..."

curl -LsS "${AZP_AGENT_PACKAGE_LATEST_URL}" | tar -xz & wait $!

source ./env.sh

trap "cleanup; exit 0" EXIT
trap "cleanup; exit 130" INT
trap "cleanup; exit 143" TERM

print_header "3. Configuring Azure Pipelines agent..."

./config.sh --unattended \
  --agent "${AZP_AGENT_NAME:-$(hostname)}" \
  --url "${AZP_URL}" \
  --auth "PAT" \
  --token $(cat "${AZP_TOKEN_FILE}") \
  --pool "${AZP_POOL:-Default}" \
  --work "${AZP_WORK:-_work}" \
  --replace \
  --acceptTeeEula & wait $!

print_header "4. Running Azure Pipelines agent..."

chmod +x ./run.sh

# To be aware of TERM and INT signals call ./run.sh
# Running it with the --once flag at the end will shut down the agent after the build is executed
./run.sh "$@" & wait $!

Add file at ~/devops/build-agent.env with follow

AZP_URL=https://dev.azure.com/Alluget2024
AZP_TOKEN=wswaqf7wuxitsoylgjxfehgu5qrvdtah4ms2vwj4eyzz7cnbl27q
AZP_POOL=OnPremAgentPool
AZP_AGENT_NAME=AgentInDocker
AZP_AGENT_PACKAGE_LATEST_URL=https://vstsagentpackage.azureedge.net/agent/3.241.0/vsts-agent-linux-x64-3.241.0.tar.gz

Run the following command within that directory:

# Windows .\Dockerfile, Linux ./Dockerfile
docker build --tag "azp-agent:linux" --file ".\Dockerfile" .

Run agent in Docker container.

docker run --env-file ".\build-agent.env" --name "azp-agent-linux" azp-agent:linux

If success, screen may like this

Verify self-hosted agent from Azure Devops

Now, new Agent Pool is appened.

Select the tab Agents, the On-Perm agent is ready.

Create the Azure App Service instances

Create App service

The Web app targets to .Net 8 with Linux.

Create a staging machine first.

Create service connection

Service connections play a pivotal role by facilitating integration with external services and platforms. For example, integrate external code repository.

Create Pipeline

On left side bar, click Pipeline

Select 'Create pipeline'

Select "Azure Repo Git"

Edit and replace your setting in the pipeline yml

• azureSubscription: 'Your devops service connection name'
• appName: 'App service name'
• resourceGroupName: 'your resource group name'

variables:
  buildConfiguration: 'Release'

trigger:
- main

jobs:
- job: buildandtest
  pool:
    name: OnPremAgentPool
    demands:
      - agent.name -equals AgentInDocker
  steps:
    - task: DotNetCoreCLI@2
      displayName: 'Restore packages'
      inputs:
        command: 'restore'
        projects: '**/*.csproj'
    - task: DotNetCoreCLI@2
      displayName: 'Build project'
      inputs:
        command: 'build'
        projects: '**/*.csproj'
    - task: DotNetCoreCLI@2
      displayName: 'dotnet test'
      inputs:
        command: 'test'
        projects: '**/*.test/*.csproj'
        publishTestResults: true        

- job: deploystaging
  dependsOn: buildandtest
  condition: succeeded()
  pool:
    name: OnPremAgentPool
    demands:
      - agent.name -equals AgentInDocker
  steps:      
    - task: DotNetCoreCLI@2
      inputs:
        command: 'publish'
        publishWebProjects: true
    - task: AzureWebApp@1
      inputs:
        azureSubscription: 'az-devops-svc-conn'
        appType: 'webAppLinux'
        appName: 'orchardcore-demo-staging'
        deployToSlotOrASE: true
        resourceGroupName: 'oc-demo-devops-hk-rg'
        slotName: 'production'
        package: '$(System.DefaultWorkingDirectory)/**/*.zip'
        appSettings: '-ASPNETCORE_URLS http://*:8080'
     
     

Testing the Build and test pipeline

I add a Unit test project with 2 cases one success and one fail. Expected that will stop after the unitl test failure.

After I pushed new branch and created pull request.

Here is the code review screen. Click Approve and Complete.

Click complete

Then the branch merge into main.

Pipeline is trigger and waiting approval

Click Approve

It comes up expected result with one failure and stop proceed.

Setup Pull Request trigger Azure Pipeline

Next, I found that the pull request will not trigger pipeline by default. It requires add a validation policy.

Goto > Repo > Branches

select Branch ... policy

Add new Build Validation

Build -> test -> deploy automatically

I modify readme file then push and create pull-request again.

Next, goto Pipeline page. It shows pipeline is just running and trigger by PR automated.

Click the pipeline, it has to approve a "pre-approval" what I try to add one more approval flow.

Pipeline done.

Test Summary

Check the Azure Web

Finished

Error notes

You don't have the build-agent on the cloud or agent name incorrect.

That why I used the self-hosted agent.

pipeline error if the self host agent has not install .net SDK.

##[error]Error: Unable to locate executable file: 'dotnet'. Please verify either the file path exists or the file can be found within a directory specified by the PATH environment variable. Also check the file mode to verify the file is executable. ##[error]Packages failed to restore

Seem SDK has not install on Agent container.

pipeline error when running pipeline

How to check the log stream in Web App.

Go Azure portal > App Service > Log stream

Add environment variable on App Service (Optional, this setting should be deploy with pipeline.)

ASPNETCORE_URLS : http://*:8080 see note for .Net 8

Reference

• MS learn - Create your first pipeline

• MS learn - Deploy to App Service using Azure Pipelines

• MS learn paralell job

• Build https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/training/paths/build-applications-with-azure-devops/

• Release https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/training/modules/deploy-docker/1-introduction

• Devops process flow https://www.lucidchart.com/blog/devops-process-flow

• Run self-hosted CI/CD agents on Azure Kubernetes Service - Part 4 - Azure DevOps

• Good reference for self hosted agent https://azureops.org/articles/azure-devops-self-hosted-agent/

• MS Learn depoly Azure pipeline